Crystal detector



Feb. 15 1927. L. LANE CRYSTAL DETECTOR Filed March 10. 1925 2' Shuts-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY-S" Feb 15,1927. "1,617,956

L. LANE CRYSTAL DETECTOR Filed March 10. 1925 2 sneeze-sheath WITNBSES I XNVENTOR "lbuzlrlkzne Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES LOUIS LANE, or HABANA, cone.

CRYSTAL DETECTOR.

Application filed March 19, 1925.

This invention relates to crystal detectors and has for its object the provision of a detector for mounting preferably a plurality of rectifying crystals or other minerals in a manner that a change in detecting may be made easily and rapidly and the sensitive points may be found with greater precision than by the forms now commonly used in order that en'iergencies or variable condi the pressureo'l the same on the sensitive spot.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in View of the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification; nevertheless it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications which shall define any material difference from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a view in crystal detector.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the detector. V

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same with parts broken away.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal plan view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front view in elevation of the detector.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal plan view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the detector.

perspective of the Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken along.

the line 88 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, 1 designates a circular base member having a depending flange 2 and an offset horizontal platform 3. The platform is provided with depending flangees 4 which together with the flange 2 rests upon the Serial No. 14,561.

base 5 or some other part of the receiving apparatus. The base member 1 and platform 3 are secured by means of screws or bolts 6 to the element 5 of the receiving apparatus. The outer end of the platform 3 is curved along the arc of a'circle and is provided with a depending flange 7 which is-bent to form a U-shaped member having an upstanding arcuately shaped leg 8 for a purpose which will be presently described.

The casing 9 is mounted upon a base memher 1 and has its lower end curved as shown at 10 to conform to the curvature of the depending flange 2. The upper end of the casing 9 has an inturned flange 11 adapted to receive a transparent cover 12.

The base member 1 is cut away as shown at 13 to form a segmental opening with a portion of the metal as shown at 14 being retained and projecting into the opening. A Z-shaped member 15, having teeth 16, to provide a segmental rack or gear raised above the plane of the base member 1, is attached to a piece of insulating material 17 which is secured to the base member by means of bent lugs 18 formed integrally at the curved edge of the opening 13 and forced through perforations in the insulating material 17 which forms a closure for said opening. The rear end of the insulating material is riveted as shown at 19 to the projecting portion 14 and bolts 20 also cooperate in readily securing the insulating member 17 to the projection 14 and said bolts also serve to secure the member 15 to said piece 17.

A pivot screw 21 has threaded engagement with a bushing 22 which is screwed into an internally threaded boss 23 formed on the base member 11 adjacent the reduced end of the projecting member 14. A nut 24 serves as a means for clamping a lead-in wire to the screw 21. A lever 25 is pivotally mounted on the upper end of the screw 21 and is formed in two sections as shown at 26 and 27 and connected together by an insulating member 28. Upon the inner end of the section 27 of the lever is pivotally mounted a shaft 29 carrying a gear 30 which meshes with the segmental gear 16. The upper endof the shaft is enlarged as shown at 31 and is adapted to be received within a bearing 32 formed centrally of the annular channel shaped cup 32 in which is mounted a plurality 'of crystals 34. The hub 32 is locked to the enlarged portion 31 of the shaft by means of a nut 35. The outer end of the section 26 of the lever 25 has an inverted U-shaped member, as shown at 36, with sufiicient space between its legs to receive an operating nut 3'7. The outer leg 38 of the U-shaped member is longer than the inner leg and depends below the lever 25 and is seated within the space between the flanges 7 and 8 located at the end of the platform 3. The leg 38 is curved to conform to the curvature of the flanges 7 and 8 and is adapted to be revolved therein. A stud bolt 59 is attached to the arouately shaped leg 88 and extends through a slot 40 in the flange 8. A thumb nut 41 has threaded engagement with the bolt 39 and is adapted to lock the leg 38 to the flange 8.

A. screw 4-2 is threadedly mounted in bearings in the U-shaped member 36 and receives the operating nut 37. The inner end of the screw is bifurcated to receive the outer end of the spring member 43. A bolt 44 passing through threaded perforations in the bifurcated portion 45 of the screw 42 looks the spring member in position on said screw. A slide 46 receives the bolt 44 and embraces the section 26 of the lever 25 and is siidable thereon, the bolt being slidable in a slot 47 of the lever 27.

The spring member 43 is slotted as shown at 48 through which is inserted a pin 49 which is mounted in the head of the pivot screw 21. The upper end of the pin is re ceived within a hollow stem 50 threaded into an enlarged portion of the casing 9. An operating nut 51 preferably of non-conduct- 11 material is attached to the top of the stem 50 and exteriorly of the casing 9. The out 52 of the stem 50 is adapted to engage the spring member 48 for oscillating said spring member in a vertical plane for forcing a cat-whisker carried by the free end of the spring member 43 in engagement with one of the crystals 34. A lead-in wire from the detector is adapted to be connected to the pivot screw 21 below the base plate by virtue of the binding nut 24 clamping same against the bushing 22, while a wire lead ing to the phone is adapted to be electrically connected to one of the bolts 20 by means of jam nuts thereon.

The hub 32 of the cup 83 it will be noted is hi 'her than the outer wall of said cup to prevent an excessive alloy from flowing over the central portion of the cup. The crystals are inserted into a powder or dust formed of lower temperature solder alloy and the loaded cup or shell is then heated to a low temperature to melt the alloy and permit the crystals to be set in their proper position in the same.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The correlated crystals having been properly setin the alloy in the cup or mounting 88 and the cat-whisker having been placed in position within the resilient holder 43, the detector unit is complete for detecting. The nut 41 is loosened and when the lever 25 is osciliated the gear 30 will be rotated by virtue of the coaction of its teeth with the teeth of the segmental gear 16. The mounting 33 is revolved through the arc of a circle untii the crystal which it is desired to use is positioned beneath the cat vhislrer The nut 37 is then revolved in either lirection until the point of the cat-whisker has been placed upon the most sensitive spot of the crystal.

It will be appreciated that while the lever 25 is oscillated the resilient holder 43 which is carried by the lever wili also be 051'- cillated so that the clamping member 54 and the cat-whisker 53 wiil always describe an arc of a circie having the pivot of the lever 25 as its center. The lever 25 is extended along the path of a. radius of such circle. When the mostsensitive spot has been determined upon, the nut 51 is rotated, moving the threaded member 50 inwardly causing the end 52 to exert a greater tension on the spring member 43 and likewise the cat-whisker 53 until the signals are received suilicicntly clearly. The fact that the segmental gear i6 is stationary and the gear 30 is moved through an arc of a circle, said gear will be revoived, thereby revolving the cup or mounting 33 which carries the crystal. The pin 49 located in the slot 48 of the spring 43 and the screw 44 located in the slot 47 of the lever 25 will maintain the holder in longitudinal alignment with the lever 25 while permitting sliding of the same.

Electrical oscillations received by the tuning coil passes through the screw 21, the spring 43, the cat-whisker 52, the crystal, the cup 33, the shaft 29, the pinion 30, the segmental gear 16, the bolt 20, through the phones and then grounded in the usual manner.

A disk 55 located on the shaft 29 and below the gear 30 is of sufiicient diameter to engage beneath the segmental gear 16 and is adapted to maintain the gears in mesh at all times.

The insulating members 17 and 28 prevent shunting of the current to the ground so that the oscillation will pass through the cat-whisker and the holder as has been described.

I claim:

1. A crystal detector comprising in combination a mounting fora crystal, means for positively revolving and moving the mounting through an arc of a circle, and means carried by the moving means for supporting a cat-whisker.

2. A crystal detector comprising a mounting for a crystal, and oscillating means carrying the mounting, a fixed base member, and cooperating means on the mounting and the base member for causing revolving of the mounting when the oscillating means is actuated, and means for supporting a catwhisker adjacent the mounting for the crystal.

3. A crystal detector comprising in combination a mounting for a crystal, means for positively revolving and moving the mounting through an arc of a circle, means carried by the moving means for supporting a cat-whisker, and means for positively regulating the pressure of the cat-whisker on a sensitive spot of the crystal.

4. A crystal detector comprising a mounting carrying a crystal, a resilient arm provided with a slot carrying a cat-whisker at its free end, a pin received by the slot and forming a guide for the resilient arm, a fixed threaded support for a screw whereby when the screw is revolved in either direction the end thereof is forced toward or away from the resilient arm for varying the pressure of the cat-whisker on a sensitive spot of the crystal.

5. A crystal detector comprising a mounting carrying a crystal, a resilient arm provided with a slot and carrying a cat-whisker at its free end, a pin received by the slot and forming a guide for the resilient arm, a fixed threaded support for a screw whereby when the screw is revolved in either direction an end thereof is forced toward or away from the resilient arm for varying the pressure of the cat-whisker on a sensitive spot of the crystal, a screw secured to an end of the catwhisker, and a nut relatively fixed having a thread engaging with the thread of said last screw and adapted when rotated for moving the screw longitudinally and thereby shifting the resilient arm toward or away from the mounting for the crystal.

6. A crystal detector comprising a mounting carrying a plurality of crystals, a shaft secured to the mounting, a base member, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the base member, said shaft being rotatably mounted at the free end of the lever, a gear secured to the shaft, a segmental gear fixed to the base member and meshing with the gear on the shaft whereby oscillation of the lever will cause coaction of said gears to cause the rotation of the shaft about its axis and movement of said axis and mounting on an arc of a circle having the pivot of the lever as its center.

7. A crystal detector comprising a mounting carrying a plurality of crystals, a shaft secured to the mounting, a base member, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the base member, said shaft being rotatably mounted at the free end of the lever, a gear secured to the shaft, a segmental gear fixed to the base member and meshing with the gear on the shaft whereby oscillation of the lever will cause rotation of the shaft in the mounting and moving the mounting through an arc of a circle, said lever being composed of two sections insulated from each other, said base member being provided with an arcuately shaped channel, said outer end of the lever being provided with an arcuately shaped leg adapted to be received within the arcna'tely shaped channel on the base member, and means for locking the leg in different positions on the base member.

8. A crystal detector comp-rising a mounting carrying a plurality of crystals, a shaft secured to the mounting, a base member, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the base member, said shaft being rotatably mounted at the free end of the lever, a gear secured to the shaft, a segmental gear fixed to the base member and meshing with the gear on the shaft whereby oscillation of the lever will cause the coaction of the gears to cause the rotation of the shaft about its axis and movement of said axis and mounting on an arc of a circle having the pivot of the lever at its center, and a holder for a catwhisker slidably mounted on the lever.

9. A crystal detector comprising a mounting carrying a plurality of crystals, a shaft secured to the moiimting, a base member, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the base member, said shaft being rotatably mounted at the free end of the lever, a gear secured to the shaft, a segmental gear fixed to the base member and meshing with the gear on the shaft whereby oscillation of the lever will cause the coaction of the gears to cause the rotation of the shaft about its axis and movement of said axis and mounting on an arc of a circle having the pivot of the lever as its center, a holder for a cat-whisker slidably mounted on the lever and means for positively moving the holder longitudinally of said lever.

10. A crystal detector comprising a mounting carrying a plurality of crystals, a shaft secured to the mounting, a base member, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the base member, said shaft being rotatably mounted at the free end of the lever, a gear secured to the shaft, a segmental gear fixed to the base member and meshing with the gear on 'the shaft whereby oscillation of the lever will cause the coaction of the gears to cause the rotation of the shaft about its axis and movement of said axis and mounting on an arc of a circle having the pivot of the lever as its center, a holder for a catwhisker slidably mounted on the lever, means for positively moving the holder lon gitudinally of said lever, and means for varying the pressure of the cat-whisker on a sensitive spot of the crystal.

11. A crystal detector comprising a mounting for a crystal, comprising a base member having a segmental gear carried by the base member insulated therefrom, a mounting carrying a crystal, a shaft rigid with the mounting and provided with a gear in mesh with the segmental gear on the base member, a lever pivotally mounted on the base memher but insulated from the same, said shaft of the mounting being rotatably mounted in the free end of the lever, and a holder for a cat-whisker mounted on the lever.

12. A crystal detector comprising a mounting for a crystal, comprising a base mem her having a segemental gear carried by the base member insulated therefrom, av mounting carrying a crystal, a shaft rigid with the mounting and provided with a gear in mesh with the segmental gear on the base member, a lever pivotally mounted on the base member but insulated from the same. said shaft of the mounting being rotatably mounted in the free end of the lever, a

holder for a cat-whisker mounted on the lever, and means for shifting said holder longitudinally of the lever.

13. A crystal detector comprising a mount- .r

ing for a crystal, comprising a base member having thereon a segemental gear and insulated from the base member, a mounting carrying a crystal, a shaft rigid with the iz'aounting and provided with a gear in mesh with the seg nental gear on the base member, a lever pivotally mounted von the base memlt-er but insulated from the same, said shaft of the mounting being rotatably mounted in the free end of the lever, a holder for a catwhisl:er mounted on the lever, and means tor locking the lever in any one of a plurality of prcdetern'iincd positions, said lever when rocked being adapted to rotate the mounting "for the crystal and moving the same through an arc of a circle.

LOUIS ll NE. 

